By Philip Nwosu
THE Nigerian military said it has launched an operation to mop up the dreaded Sambisa forest and free the rest of the abducted girls.
Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Gabriel Olonisakin who disclosed this in Lagos, said that the “Operation Crackdown” recently launched into Sambisa was yielding positive results.
He spoke to journalists while commissioning some projects put in place by the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok Ette Ibas at the Nigerian Navy Barracks, Ojo-Lagos, as part of activities marking the 60th anniversary of the Nigerian Navy. The CDS revealled that the Military recently launched the special operation to free most of the girls.
He said the operation was a final push against the Boko Haram insurgents, adding that the military had deployed both ground and aerial operatives, deep inside the Sambisa forest, with the aim of completely wiping out all enclaves of Boko Haram and to rescue not just the abducted Chibok girls but other victims as well.
General Olonisakin said: “The operation is progressing and part of its benefit was the recent rescue of two of the Chibok girls. The operation is ongoing and we will continue to move into Sambisa until we rid that place of all terrorists. As long as that is on, we will continue until we clear the whole area.”
He noted that the issue of insurgency could not be eradicated completely but added that the Military had been able to decimate the Boko Haram terrorists to the extent that they would not be able to carry out their nefarious activities.
“We will continue to ensure we step up our game, while the Joint Task Force is doing everything possible to rid the nation of terrorists,” he said.
He lauded the CNS on the projects which were initiated to improve welfare of personnel.
The projected included the refurbished intensive care unit at the Navy Reference Hospital, as well as residential and administrative buildings.